Getting out of the "nature/culture" dichotomy dead-end: exploring the concept of socio-ecological system and its implementation in Quaternary and ancient societies studies
Angélique Van de Luitgaarden1, Leïla Hoareau2
1 Doctorante Inrap, UMR 5608 TRACES
We generally define the idea of "nature" by all the elements that compose material reality and are indenpendant from humans and their action. This profoundly anthropo-centric vision of "nature" supposes to consider "human activities as factors of disturbance of the natural function of ecosystems" (Maris, 2018, p.21). Le concept of "environment" isn't much more satisfactory and also proposes to see human activities as disturbance. The consequences from climate change and the necessity to find solutions for adaptation have thrusted researchers to rethink their ways of conceptualisation: to separate humans from non-humans in order to understand either long-term ancient societies or environmental trajectories is limiting us. We need to go beyond it and yet, it persists.
The concept of "socio-ecological system" was first developed by E. Ostom in economy and then adapted by ecological and biological sciences. It doesn't "completely detach itself from the weight of the "nature/culture" dichotomy" (Ostrom, 1990; Giraudoux, 2022, p.12). However, it allows to think jointly inter-agent relations and adaptations (fauna, flora, geosystem, &.). This asks of us to consider an considerable number of variables that "exhibit nonlinear dynamics with thresholds, reciprocal feedback loops, time lags, resilience, heterogeneity, and surprises" (Liu et al., 2007, p.1513).
The goal of this workshop is to invite people to discuss those concepts and their implementation, conceptualised or not, within our research, whether about the biosystem, the geosystem or human societies, ancient as well as current. We would like to create a space of transdisciplinary exchanges, same as the Zone Ateliers (Bretagnolles et al., 2019). This would allow us to explore the possibilities of (hyper)diachronic collaborations, whether as citizens facing climate change and the need for adaptation or as researchers trying to understand ancient societies.
References
Bretagnolle V. et al., 2019, « Action-orientated research and framework: insights from the French long-term social-ecological research network », Ecology and Society, 24, 3.
Giraudoux P., 2022, Socio-écosystèmes : l’indiscipline comme exigence du terrain, London, ISTE editions, coll. « Encyclopédie Sciences, Écosystèmes et environnement, Socio-écosystèmes », 323 p.
Liu J. et al., 2007, « Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural Systems », Science, 317, 5844, p. 1513‑1516.
Maris V., 2018, « Le concept de « nature » », dans La part sauvage du monde, Paris, Le Seuil, coll. « Anthropocène », p. 19‑36.
Ostrom E., 1990, Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, 1ère édition., Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, coll. « Canto Classics ».
Loading... 
